title: Detection of HDV-RNA by PCR in serum of patients with chronic HDV infection.
abstract: In this paper, we studied the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in HDV-RNA detection. Using serial dilutions of serum samples of known concentrations of HDV-RNA, PCR was 10,000-times more sensitive than slot-blot hybridization. PCR was used for the detection of HDV-RNA in 33 serum samples negative to HDV-RNA by conventional slot-blot hybridization. HDV-RNA was detected in 18/33 (54%) of the samples included in this study using PCR. When positivity to a viral genome was related to other viral replication markers, it was found that among the 18 patients positive to the viral genome, 13 (72%) had hepatitis delta antigen in the liver, and five (28%) were negative. In conclusion, HDV-RNA detection by gene amplification is 10,000-times more sensitive than slot-blot hybridization, and allows the detection of viral replication in patients without other viral replication markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Madejón
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melero
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Campillo
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Porres
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carreño
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000235:genetics; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase